GATLINBURG, TN (WJHL) — Several fire departments from the Tri-Cities region have arrived Gatlinburg to help battle wildfires.

They are there as part of the mutual aid response for the East Tennessee region.

Crews from Elizabethton Fire Department, Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue, Johnson City Fire Department, Greeneville Fire Department, Avoca Volunteer Fire Department, a Hawkins county fire tanker and many other emergency crews are assisting in fighting the wildfires.

News Channel 11 spoke with an Avoca firefighter on scene tonight. He told us he saw many buildings and cabins on fire in the high mountains. He also added there were a lot of debris in the road and that it took he and his crew longer than usual to get there.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) says currently 30 structures are on fire in Gatlinburg, including a 16-story hotel on Regan Drive.